Effect of modulation instability on the relaxation of a relativistic electron beam in a plasma
Zakharov V.E. , L'vov V.S., Rubenchik A.M.
The spectra of Langmuir oscillations excited by a relativistic electron beam are singular in к -space. The influence of the modulation instability of such spectra on the relaxation of the electron beam is studied. It is shown that the instability-induced broadening of the oscillation spectrum decreases the energy flux into the plasma, lowers the turbulence level, and increases the relaxation length.